Mass Media

Dennis Lebec
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dennis Lebec received B.S. and M.A. degrees in Telecommunications at Kent State University. From 1976 until 1992, he worked for WAKC-TV (originally WAKR-TV), the ABC network affiliate in Akron, Ohio. He began as a production assistant before becoming a staff director of station newscasts, local commercials, and public affairs programming. Eventually, he was promoted to the position of Operations Manager. For his production work, he won two Akron Press Club awards and was nominated for a regional Emmy award.

In 1992, Lebec accepted a teaching position in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University. He spent seven years there and completed more than half the coursework required for his doctorate at Bowling Green State University in the summers. He received an Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Liberal Arts at Marshall in 1997.

Lebec came to Marietta College in 1999 to join the Mass Media faculty and serve as advisor to WCMO-TV, the campus television station. He has taught a variety of courses, including Mass Media and Society, Introduction to Broadcast Production, Introduction to Electronic Media, Broadcast Journalism, Video Production, Announcing and Performance, Media Ethics and Law, and an experimental course, Popular Music of the 1960s. He also serves as advisor to the Marietta chapter of the National Broadcasting Society.

Michael McNamara A native of Cleveland, Ohio and a US Air Force veteran, McNamara began his broadcasting career with AFRTS- the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service during the Vietnam War. After returning home he completed his Bachelor of Science in Communication degree at Ohio University and awarded a graduate assistantship teaching a freshman seminar in the College of Communication.

Married and the father of twin daughters, including a recent Marietta grad, Mike and his family moved from Athens to Lexington, Kentucky. There he served as the Sports Director at the ABC Radio/TV affiliate, doing studio work, play-by-play and several shows, before becoming the primary News Anchor at WLEX-TV, the NBC affiliate.

After nearly a decade in the Lexington market, eh and his family have called the Mid Ohio Valley home since the mid 80's. No stranger to MC, Mike did play-by-play of Pioneer baseball with "Big John"Wharff until 1996 when he became the News Anchor at WTAP-TV in Parkersburg, while also serving as an Adjunct Instructor in the Mass Media Department.

There he was part of a team that recorded some of the highest ratings in the history of the station, while also winning several local and regional awards, including Documentary of the Year from the Associated Press following the deadly floods of 1998.

He completed his M.A. at Marietta and joined the college as an Assistant Professor in Mass Media. He teaches Introduction to Advertising, Writing for Public Relations, Writing for the Media, an experimental class in Sports Broadcasting, Promotion and Marketing and a class in the Freshman-year seminar experience program. He also produced and served as the co-host for Campus Connection on WMRT. This fall, McNamara was named the Interim Chair of the Mass Media Department.

When he's not in the classroom or assisting with various Public Relations efforts both on campus and throughout the community, Mike continues to accept free-lance broadcast assignments throughout the region. Most recently he recorded updates from the Pro Football Hall of Fame game in Canton for ESPN Radio, ONN and "The Fan," WBNS Radio (Columbus) and did play-by-play for WTAP-TV's first live football game between Parkersburg and Parkersburg South.

Marilee M. Morrow is the current owner of Morton Media and Marketing, a broadcast-consulting agency. Over her career, Morrow has served as senior producer, producer, announcer, continuity and production director of major market radio and television stations in Ohio and West Virginia. She has a Masters Degree in Corporate and Organization Communications from West Virginia University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Telecommunications from Ohio University.

Art Smith has been an adjunct in the Mass Media Department since 1993. He currently teaches Desktop Publishing and Web Design. Smith also has taught classes in photography, advanced desktop publishing, mechanics, and design.

He has worked at the Marietta Times since 1977. He is currently the online manager and supervises the newspaper's website, www.MariettaTimes.com. Smith also has served as the newspaper's news editor, presentation editor and chief photographer. Additionally, he has worked at the Tiffin Advertiser Tribune, The Mesa (Arizona) Tribune and the Modesto (California) Bee. He is a 1983 graduate of Ohio University receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism from the school's Visual Communication program.

Lori A. Klinger Smith acts as a commercial printing consultant and has had various duties with the Marietta Times/Gannett Company Inc. She has served as Advertising Director, Retail Advertising Manager and Advertising Representative. Smith received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Ohio University with a major in Advertising and minors in English and Math.

James L. Merriner Jim is back in his original hometown of Sardis, Ohio, after serving as the political editor and city editor at the Chicago Sun-Times and Atlanta Constitution. Besides local and state politics, Jim covered every presidential campaign from 1976 through 1992.

In 1996 Jim was the James Thurber Writer in Residence at Ohio State University, where he taught a graduate-level course in journalism. He also taught at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Jim has written four books about politics and history:
• Mr. Chairman: Power in Dan Rostenkowskiís America (1999)
• Against Long Odds: Citizens Who Challenge Congressional Incumbents (with Dr. Thomas P. Senter, 1999)
• The City Club of Chicago: A Centennial History (forthcoming this fall)
• Grafters and Goo Goos: Corruption and Reform in Chicago, 1833-2003 (forthcoming next spring)
While writing the latter two books, Jim spent much of his time in Sardis helping to renovate a historical, 1894 building. It's now a restaurant called Marv's Place, with an antique mall planned for the second floor. Just for fun, visit marvsplace.com

Joyce Pennington has been the Mass Media Department secretary for 20 years and has been with Marietta College since 1979. She has helped develop the department and shepherded it through its various growth periods. Pennington is a native of Southwestern Pennsylvania, but currently lives with her husband in Williamstown, West Virginia.

Gene Gildow is the engineer for WCMO-TV. After graduating from Ohio University, Gildow spent 40 years working as a television engineer in Fort Wayne, Indiana; Dallas, Texas; Providence, Rhode Island; Albany, New York; and Norfolk, Virginia. He holds certifications from the Society of Broadcast Engineers as a Senior Broadcast Engineer in Radio AM-FM and Television. He has a Federal Communications Commission license as a General Radiotelephone Operator.

Ralph Matheny has been at Marietta College for 35 years and is the architect of WMRT-FM 88.3. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Marietta College in Speech/Radio-Television and a Masters Degree from Miami University in Telecommunications. Matheny is the Director of WMRT-FM and WCMO-FM radio and a lecturer in various radio and television production courses. He also has served as a consulting engineer to numerous radio stations in the Mid-Ohio River Valley.

Advertising Sales for the Marcolian

Lori Smith

Advisor to the Mariettana

Suzanne Walker

CO-CURRICULAR DUTIES OF FULL-TIME STAFF

Radio Station

Matheny

Television Station

Lebec

Marcolian

Merriner

Public Relations and Advertising

McNamera